IBB: Obasanjo’s 1999 presidency saved Nigeria from break-up

Former military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida, yesterday claimed that only the emergence of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as President in 1999 saved the country from possible disintegration.

Babangida, a key figure in the drafting of Obasanjo into the race, said on the Kaduna-based Liberty Radio that the events in the country in the build up to that year’s election demanded a leader who was conversant with the country and ready to work hard to keep the country one.

“We have to simplify a lot of things without going back to what happened before. The emergence of Obasanjo came about as a result of what happened in the country. The country was in a very serious crisis and we had to find solution to these problems. Therefore, we needed a leader, that leader who is known in the country,” he said.

“We did not believe in foisting somebody who was not known. So we looked for a man who had been involved in the affairs of this country; who held positions either in the military or in the cabinet; who had certain belief in Nigeria.

“For all of us that were trained in the armed forces, there is one belief that you cannot take away from us and that is the fact that we believe in this country. It is part of our training and we fought for this country.

“So, when you have a situation like that, you need a leader that has all these attributes and quite frankly, Obasanjo quickly came to mind. Remember those days the fight was against the North’s perpetuation. But here, we had one who knows the North, knows the South and who fought a war, who believes and says it.

“People with that type of connection, the people recognised you, and this is what we did in the case of Obasanjo. What he did is between him and the Nigerian people; but his emergence solved a lot of problems in Nigeria. At least, we did not disintegrate because we believed he could go to war again, to keep this country together.”

He hailed the formation of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and said of its coming: “I am a firm believer in a two party system and I also studied the emergence of political parties in this country since independence and it shows that this country will be heading for a two party system. You heard about national alliances, parties coming from the North and aligning with those from the South, NEPU aligning with NCNC.

“So when we came, we introduced the two-party system and democratically, you have to have a choice and you can vote without belonging to a political party. You vote for the quality of the man you want to represent you. So, it is nothing new because I believe in two parties and I see signs of the possible emergence of two party systems. So, I welcome it because it is good for the polity as well as the unity of this country.

“When we were doing it in 1989, some of you in the media said no, it was going to be one Christian party, one Muslim party. It did not work out that way then and then you said it is going to be one northern and one southern party and it also did not work like that because everybody blended.

“The chairman of NRC was Chief Tom Ikimi, while the chairman of SDP was Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and everybody was in one party or the other. You just have to have an accommodation. I am a founding father of the PDP; one of the founding fathers of the party and I cannot disown what I founded.”

On the 2015 elections, he said “first of all we have a new party in formative stage; Nigerians have a new party in-formation. They are trying to get their act together and sell a programme to the public and use that programme to take power.

“As an ordinary citizen, I have the right to look at what they are offering this country. Based on my knowledge of what I believe is good for this country, whoever offers something similar to that or near that, I have the right, the constitution allows me just to go to the polling station and drop my ballot and say I like this.

“I will belong to those who will choose a credible candidate, a candidate that can lead this country and it is not difficult to find one out of 170 million people. There must be a candidate because that is what the constitution provides. If the party is silly and chooses the wrong candidate, the ordinary person will not be silly. He knows this man cannot lead me so he doesn’t vote for him. So if he chooses a wrong candidate you stand the chance of losing.”

I strongly believe in what the General said regarding obasonjo’s annointment in 1999. This writer was still in the in United states at the time and the fear we had was that another military group would definitly take the power from any civilian president, northerner or southerner. Remember at that time, there were a lot of randy men who believed that being a military officer qualified them to be president of the country and they were prepared to make a dash at it at all cost but, the emergence of Obasanjo gave me some confidence for the same reason Babaginda gave i.e, he was a retired general who knew those ambitions among the military boys and knew how to handle them and he did. Though among the northerners at that time, the last thing they would not see happen was an Ibo man emerging as a president. I strongly support Babangida in his assertion even thogh it was done solely to keep Ekwueme from becoming the president which goes to show that there has been no election in Nigeria since 1999, all we have had has been selection of office holders. Unfortunately Obasanjo disappointed the north who selected him at that time hence he is working very hard now to pay them back because Jonathan seem to be disappointing him the way he disappointed the north.

Essien

Please IBB and OBJ let it be known to you that I and a good majority of Nigerians will not vote for any party tha you choose to pitch your tent with (APC or PDP). The military laid the foundation for all the ills that the country is currently experiencing.

Sunny Akhigbe

With all due respect, no sir! The drafting of Obasanjo in 1999 was partly to atone the annulment of late Abiola’s election. On the two parties NRC and SDP, it was a failed political experiment. If parties do not evolve, there is no democracy. I have repeatedly argued that even if Abiola’s election was allowed to stand the decreed two parties would not have endured because they had no historical precedents. I challenge the General to name one successful democracy anywhere in the world where parties were decreed into existence by military fiat. Little wonder that convoluted and meandering transition led to nowhere. Nigerians have nothing to learn from that political experiment and it should be cast into the museum of failed innovations!

Sir K

Sunny are you saying that annulment of June 12 wasn’t about to divide this country then? I believe you should agreed with the General been the masterminds of the whole scenarios then he should know better than you whose source of information is only based on newspaper speculative stories.

SAMPSON

THIS IS A GHANA MAN WILL CALL KASPA TRUTH TALK OR TRUE WORD,BY IBB,AS HE SAID WE WERE REALLY HEADING TO WAR BECAUSE OF CHIEF MKO ABIOLA DEATH AFTER JUNE 12 ELECTION SAGA,GENERAL OBJ WELL KNOWN IN THE SOUTH AND ALL OVER THE NATION,A SOLDIER AND FORMER HEAD OF STATE AND ALHAJI ABUBARKA ATIKU WELL KNOWN IN THE NORTH,IN THE NATION AS A FORMER CUSTOM MAN WHO SEVERED MORE DOWN SOUTH AND A CLOSE PARTNER OF LATE GENERAL MUSA YARADUA,PLUS BEEN AN ELECTED GOVERNOR,THIS WAS A GOOD BALANCE.

TODAY WHAT DO WE HAVE,JONATHAN AN IJAW TEACHER OF ANIMALS AND SAMBO AN HAUSA BRICKLAYER,THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP,VERY CLUELESS,VISIONLESS,DIRECTIONLESS AND CORRUPT TO TEETH,THEY WERE FORMER HALF TENURE GOVERNORS THAT NEVER MADE ANY GOOD IMPACT IN THEIR STATES,AND JONATHAN A FORMER VICE PRESIDENT WHO WAS IN POWER BUT AN OUTSIDER,

AS IBB SAID,WE HAVE ANOTHER BALANCE IN GENERAL BUHARIA AND SENATOR TINUBU.LET EVRY BODY INCLUDING IBB SUPPORT THEM AND APC TO TAKE POWER NOW BECAUSE AS HE IBB RIGHTLY SAID WE ARE NOW CLOSE TO ANOTHER WAR OR BRAKE UP TIME,ONLY AN EXPERIENCE LEADERS CAN KEEP US TOGETHER,LOOK GENERAL BUHARI,A SOLDIER,A FORMER MILITARY GOVERNOR OF NORTHEASTERN STATE NOW 6 STATES,A FORMER PETROLEUM MINISTER,A FORMER HEAD OF STATE AND A FORMER PTF CHAIRMAN AND SENATOR TINUBU,A FREEDOM FIGHTER,A BANKER,AN ECONOMICS,A FORMER SENATOR AND FORMER LAGOS STATE GOVERNOR A MINI NIGERIA NOW SOUTHWEST LEADER,THIS TWO ARE WELL KNOWN IN THE NATION,THEY CAN NOT AFFORD TO FAIL.

NIGERIA AND NIGERIANS LET US ALL RALLY THEM ROUND NOW BY MOVING INTO APC IN MASS AND KILLING ALL FORM OF SENTIMENTS BE IT TRIBAL AND REGION AND VOTE THEM IN AS DONE IN OTHER NATION OF THE WORLD,TODAY IN GHANA THEY HAVE TWO CHRISTIAN AS PRESIDENT AND VICE,J D MAHAMA FROM THE NORTH,AN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD MEMBER,A COMMUNICATION EXPECT,A FORMER MINISTER OF COMMUNICATION UNDER JJ RWALINGS PRESIDENCY IT WAS UNDER HIM GHANA HAD GSM BEFORE US,A TWO TERM MP MEMBER AND A FORMER ACTIVE VICE PRESIDENT UNDER LATE PRESIDENT ATTA MILLS.HIS VICE PAPAA KWESI AUTHUR A ECONOMIC EXPECT,A FORMER UNIVERSITY OF GHANA LECTURER,A FORMER MINISTER UNDER JJ RAWLINGS,A FORMER BANK OF GHANA GOVERNOR UNDER ATTA MILLS PRESIDENCY AND MEMBER OF METHODIST CHURCH FROM SOUTH,WHAT A BALANCE.

Must we be together what is the essence of being together without desired trust, unity and peace

ajiri

IBB you cancel the june 12 election without any reason; was MKO not a credible leader? IBB, you and ABACHA cause the problem that led to 1999. IBB for your information, 70% of nigerians want this so called country to disintegrate, because we are totally differend nations. The yoruba nation, igbo nation, hausa fulani nation, ijaw nation, benin nation e t c, so it was lord luguard and his girl friend then that decided to name this strange country called nigeria.

candosky

See a coupist who is not even as reasonable as a little pig talking. Nigeria has truly lost credibility.

akpos

Dnt justify military regime ibb! Cuz military leaders rule the country as their own property. For example, i dont knw the rational behind 83% of south south oil block own by northerners(after the british left the north want to colonize the south). The same ibb that change the land use law in the country because he want to favor the north with oil block and destroy the south. But with all that the north stole from the niger delta, their citizen still beg in the street. If our fathers took this frm the northerners, this generation of niger delta will fight. Cuz instead i die on my bed, i better die fighting. FREEDOM…………………..!!!

afowowe chris

As at today, what is the good of Nigeria nation staying together rather than killing of innocent citizens and foreigners, rig of election that land us in the appointment of incompetent leaders, corruption in high places, inequality in the distribution of resource and Nigeria project, wrong domination of a tribe over major source of income of the nation and lot more of decadence. Is this the way we will continue to live?
I suggest we break before the good and the bad be named terror nation.

OKODORO ORO

Here comes again the author of confusion himself. Sir we are tired, very tired of you. Adieu.

AWOO

With the tone he spoke.I will not be surprised if IBB cross-carpet to APC before 2015 general election.

Please help me to ask IBB what is he looking for?. He should let us be.Not long ago IBB and OBJ abused each other on the pages of the new paper and now IBB is singing praises of him.Something is about to happen. IBB is the principality of corruption.If you remember He technically endorse APC and may be the president have called him to order on that or his economic interest will be at stake. something is going on IBB will not sore where he will not reap.

Obasanjo’s 1999 presidency saved Nigeria from break-up. who will save the the country now? to me.i think that the wahala is not over. the darkness in nigeria is so much. no one person can save nigeria again.nigerians will do that.

Prince

This man is seeking relevant at all costs. who caused the problems that almost disintegrate the country? IBB. Tam David-West said IBB caused imbalance in allocation of Oil blocks, he did not address that he quickly ship in how emergence of OBJ saved the country, cony man.

Essien

IBB and OBJ have sumpathy for APC. Nigerians are advised to run away from where those two evil men pitch their tent. They only want to perpetuate their corruption!.

Chidi

Who told u that nigeria is safe now cos u are living in a free house built by julius berger,free food,free fuel virtually everything free,safe my foot.

Deltaman

So who did OBJ save Nigeria for? Certainly not for justice, equity and betterment of Nigerians but for their gang of military and civilian elites to continue their looting and corruption. Idiots!

I said it long ago that Ibb is coming back. Obj and Ibb settled long time ago to repay him for helping him back into office Obj’s failure to do that while in office was why Ibb called him a fool and a thieve. since they’ve settled,Obj has distanced himself from Gej and has been calling for a strong man to rule the country. That Obj has agreed to work for Ibb, Ibb has to launder or project himself for that project. Even in today’s newspapers 10/03/13 reports, it is indicated that a former president and head of state is ready to back the new APC… Please look out as events as they unfold themselves

Phyl

All nigerians, ibb, obj, etc on our way to apc. Leave JEG n Akpabio in der poverty development party.

Tunde Balogun

“We have to simplify a lot of things without going back to what happened before. The emergence of
Obasanjo came about as a result of what happened in the country. The country was in a very serious
crisis and we had to find solution to these problems. Therefore, we needed a leader, that leader who
is known in the country. . . ”

Vintage Babangida, obfuscation and all.

What kind of “leader” is it who wants to “simplify” a lot of things “without going back to what happened
before”?

Who and what plunged Nigeria into the crisis that threatened the very fabric of national existence?

These are questions that Babangida labors so disingenuously to avoid. These questions will haunt him
to the grave and beyond.

The careerist continue to pretend to be a statesman and a patriot. Discerning Nigerians know better.

Is anybody there with sound reason’s why Babangida named Military President?

Jorge

Obasanjo’s emergence by this IBB arrangement is not but one step forward and two steps backward. If Nigeria had a visionary and charismatic leader from 1999 this tension and incessant crises would have been nipped in the bud. Up till now the nations is still groping in the dark for the simple reason that our return to democracy by 1999 was not by the peoples choice and it has remained so till date. The nation needs a clear headed leader devoid of manipulations from former heads of states and the PDP conclave.

OLUMOKO Bayo

Maradona. My name remains June12, I still dey laugh o.

Jan Hazo

Whatever the merits the general wants to attest to Obasanjos second coming one undeniable fact was and is that it allowed the military to dictate who rules \Nigeriaa and we are still in that situation. A cursory look still shows that it is the IBB boys that rule us directly through the PDP and we still have not got the vote, no.

IBB hurts this nation very well with his annulment of the elections of Abiola, from one of the two parties he also created. That action was like he wanted to hand over to a Northerner but failed when Abiola was heady to victory, he quick annulled the elections. This is why Nigeria was going to break, because, we wanted to tell the North that enough is enough. However. To avoid a repetition of this same saga in 2015, I support the presidency to move to the North after keeping it in the South for more than 12 years. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. PDP or APC, let the North have the presidency in 2015 so that we will continue to have mutual respect for each other, otherwise, the same scenario we found ourselves when Abiola was robbed of his victory by he North would repeat itself in 2015. Although the PDP’s permutation is that they are ready to use whatever it takes to deliver Goodluck, after which they will tell the rest zone to be patient for just four years. That is not going to work because the South East will not continue to suffer marginalization for so long. For instance if Goodluck is re-elected in 2015, he will stays till 2019. After 2019 what zone will be next, the Northern zones. This zones will conspire to keep it for 8years or more just like we did to them, that will take us to 2027 or beyond before the South East can say it is our turn, which nobody may be willing to give to them on a platter of gold at that time. So with IBB’s solution of two party system, the odd of the South East getting a shot at the presidency will be earlier than this permutation by over 4 years and will be less combatant as the two party will now shift their battleground to the East quickly

GREG

This is so ridiculous, So the permanent solution to keeping Nigeria is picking former Military as President?

This just another way of the military ruling Nigerian.

Nigeria is better of as 3 different countries. The only reason the North wants to keep the country as one, is because the own 83% of the oil blocks.

Besides a country can be one if every major group hates one another and is constantly working against one another.

Thomas

By now we thought that I B B should be ashamed of himself haven seen where he nailed Nigeria as a Nation . Your name sake Diego maradona has called it a quit , you should quietly desist from further political participation before the anger of God descend on you. What else do u what ? U ”ve used military might, political power, & now Boko harm still unsatisfied even if u succeed in joining A P C the same thing will be .